the red dot movie review

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Red Dot’ On Netflix, A Swedish Thriller Where A Romantic Trip Goes Seriously Wrong

Where to stream:.

• Stream It Or Skip It

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Sweet Tooth' Season 3 On Netflix, Where Gus, Big Man And Friends Go On A Final Journey To Help Cure "The Sick"

Stream it or skip it: 'criminal minds: evolution' season 2 on paramount+, where the bau works with a serial killer to find an even more sadistic murderer, stream it or skip it: 'marlon wayans: good grief' on prime video, coming home to roost, roast and pay homage to his late parents, stream it or skip it: ‘fallen idols: nick and aaron carter’ on max, a docuseries detailing sexual assault allegations against the backstreet boy.

Nordic stories are all the rage these days; with titles like Quicksand , Marcella , Equinox , and more, Netflix has been embracing the Swedish side of things. If their latest addition, a tense thriller called Red Dot , is any indication of the content to come, we have a feeling Netflix will be making Nordic films and series for the foreseeable future. 

RED DOT : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: David (Anastasios Soulis) and Nadja (Nanna Blondell) are a young couple trying to make it work in Stockholm. While things are promising on the surface – David has a great engineering job, and Nadja is studying to be a doctor – things are tense between the couple, and made even more so when Nadja discovers she is pregnant. Looking for a chance to rekindle their spark, David surprises Nadja with a romantic weekend away in Northern Sweden where they’ll ski and sleep under the Northern Lights.

The trip starts normally enough, but things start to feel a little off when they encounter a pair of hunters at a gas station nwho seem a little… off, and things only get weirder from there. David, Nadja, and their dog Boris try to move past this brief incident, but it’s the beginning of a seriously dark turn of events. Their first night under the Northern Lights is soon interrupted by a red laser dot on their tent, and the two end up running for their lives through the snowy wilderness from an unseen force. Full of twists and turns you’ll never see coming, Red Dot  doesn’t hold anything back.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Red Dot  is a little reminiscent of other ‘being-stalked-through-the-wilderness’ thrillers like  The Ritual , as well as hopeless, tense thrillers in the same category as It Comes At Night and The Lodge . Its snowy setting and the fight for survival may also bring to mind flicks like The Grey and even The Revenant .

Performance Worth Watching: Nanna Blondell is wonderful as Nadja, a woman whose resentment seems to dictate her life, even if her husband doesn’t take much notice of it. She has the kind of screen presence that suggests she could carry her own film or series, charming and funny when things are light and deeply affecting in the film’s more intense, harrowing moments. She’s apparently set to appear in Marvel’s Black Widow , and I can’t wait to see her career blow up.

Memorable Dialogue: It’s cheesy, but it comes during one of the film’s only moments of levity – and it gives us a glimpse of the central couple’s chemistry: “I may have the world’s best job, but I don’t want to lose the world’s best girl.”

Sex and Skin: There’s some almost-action in a car flashback, but not much else.

Our Take:  It may take a little time for this chilly thriller to warm up, but once it does, there’s no stopping it.  Red Dot  is the rare film unafraid to be relentlessly grim and self-serious, but it feels earned. The filmmaking isn’t flashy or in-your-face, but rather relies on the desolate, wintry setting and its strong performers to bring everything home. Anastasios Soulis and Nanna Blondell are truly great here, believable as a couple who seem to love each other deeply but can’t quite get into a healthy groove. We find out later what’s haunting the two of them, but it manifests itself so subtly early on that it’s easy to think they might be coping with run-of-the-mill issues and relationship resentments.

Red Dot  is not a film for those with weak stomachs or a love of happy endings, but it might check quite a few boxes for those who might be willing to wallow in misery and hopelessness for just under 90 minutes. This is not a film of heroes and villains, or good and evil. It’s about the horrors of humanity and what we’re all capable of, even if we don’t want to admit it. At its core, the film is really a psychological thriller; the cat-and-mouse aspect is suspenseful, yes, but watching these people unravel is terrifying.

It’s fortunate that Red Dot found a home at Netflix, where it will likely be widely seen and discussed. I can’t think of a better place for a film this humorless – and that’s not a bad thing – to make its debut. There are no easy answers in Red Dot , and there aren’t many easy questions, either. Red Dot is a bold film, one unafraid to reveal the ugliness of human nature and the often bleak reality of the world. And while compelling to watch unfold, it’s not a very fun reality to accept.

Our Call:  STREAM IT.  Red Dot  is tense, disturbing, and well-made. Not everyone may be able to stomach it, but for those who aren’t afraid to let things get a little bleak,  Red Dot  may be just the thing.

Should you stream or skip the Swedish thriller #RedDot on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) February 12, 2021

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski .

Stream  Red Dot  on Netflix

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Red Dot – Netflix Review (3/5)

Posted by Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard | Feb 10, 2021 | 3 minutes

RED DOT is a new Netflix thriller from Sweden. We’re dealing with a survival story where a couple is being hunted during a snow storm. The title refers to them suddenly realizing that someone is aiming at them. Then the shooting starts. Read our full Red Dot movie review here!

RED DOT is a new Netflix thriller from Sweden that offers a survival story featuring two threats. First, the fact that someone is aiming a gun at them, creating a red dot to illustrate this, in the middle of the night. Then the shooting begins which leads to the second threat; The blistering cold of a snowstorm while being out in the mountains with no shelter.

With a runtime of just 85 minutes, this one is worth watching. And don’t worry about the dialogue being in Swedish because not  that much is said. After all, they’re busy trying to survive!

Continue reading our Red Dot movie review below and find the movie on Netflix from February 11, 2021.

Classic horror and thriller set-up

We’ve seen this set-up in many classic horror movies and thrillers; A couple living in the city decides to get away from it all for a nice weekend in the wilderness. Instead of enjoying nature and each other, they end up fighting for their lives. It’s a classic plot and that’s for the simple reason that it works.

Once this scene has been set, you can head in all kinds of directions; Inbreed humans living in the hills, a serial killer on the prowl, an animal hunting for food (or sport), or the age-old revenge theme. Whatever the reason, it’s usually a very entertaining story to tell and  Red Dot is no exception.

I will say that the plot is a bit  too  heavy-handed for my liking. It’s almost as if it’s made way too obvious what we’re meant to believe is happening, which means I immediately  don’t  believe anything I’m being lead to believe. This doesn’t ruin the movie-watching experience but it also doesn’t help it. 

Moral of this movie; Don’t judge a book by its cover and never try to run from your mistakes!

The small cast of this Swedish Netflix movie

The two absolute lead protagonists of Red Dot are Nadja and David since they’re the couple being hunted for most of the movie. Nadja is portrayed by Nanna Blondell while David is played by Anastasios Soulis. Despite the Greek sounding name, he was born in Sweden to a Greek father and a Finnish mother.

Both Nanna Blondell and Anastasios Soulis have a lot of experience from both movies and TV series. They do also come across as very seasoned actors who know what they’re doing. You might see Nanna Blondell again later this year since she’s also in the upcoming Marvel movie Black Widow (2021) .

Other actors in  Red Dot  include Johannes Kuhnke who was in Lars von Trier’s  The House That Jack Built (2018) and the Golden Globe-nominated movie Force Majeure  (2014). Also, Johannes Kuhnke was in many episodes of the Danish Netflix series The Rain so he might be a familiar face to many.

Watch the  Red Dot  movie on Netflix!

Red Dot is directed by Alain Darborg who also co-wrote the screenplay with Per Dickson. In turn, Per Dickson also worked as the first assistant director on this movie, so it’s quite a joint effort. In the past, Alain Darborg has directed and written several short films and TV series.

For me, Red Dot suffers a bit in the storyline department for reasons I can’t mention here without doing spoilers. I’ll simply say that people act in strange ways and blame others for their own mistakes. This is not unusual but it feels a little too far-fetched for me.

Having said that, I still feel  Red Dot  is a very entertaining movie that looks good and has some good performances by its cast. In other words, it’s worth checking out on Netflix and perfect to watch during a snowstorm. Just to remind you that things can always get worse, so be happy that you’re safe and warm with Netflix delivering entertainment to get through the lockdown.

Red Dot is out on Netflix worldwide from February 11, 2021.

Director: Alain Darborg Writers: Alain Darborg, Per Dickson Stars: Nanna Blondell, Anastasios Soulis, Johannes Kuhnke, Thomas Hanzon, Anna Azcárate, Kalled Mustonen

David and Nadja attempt to rekindle their relationship on a romantic hiking trip to the North of Sweden. The trip quickly turns into a nightmare when a red laser dot appears in their tent, and they are forced to flee into the unforgiving wilderness pursued by an unknown shooter.

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About The Author

Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!

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Red Dot ending explained – who’s behind the rifle?

It should be obvious from the title Red Dot  ending explained , but this article contains MAJOR plot spoilers.

Netflix’s  Red Dot   is a film that takes some surprising turns and veers into rather challenging territory, so it’ll doubtlessly be the kind of thing that prompts a fair amount of discussion among those who found it in the thumbnails , watched expecting one thing, and were shocked to get something else entirely. The final act is properly deranged and contains a good helping of developments, so we’ll do our best to explain what went down and why.

Red Dot  begins as — and remains for about an hour — any old thriller. The couple at its center, David and Nadja, are hoping to repair their damaged relationship by venturing out into the mountains of Northern Sweden for a skiing trip. Nadja is pregnant, though as we see when she confides in her kindly neighbor, Tomas, she isn’t sure if she and David are ready for a child of their own. At first, we’re to assume this is because their relationship is on the rocks, but as things progress we see that Nadja’s reservations are intimately tied to the film’s plot. 

Almost immediately after arriving at their remote destination, David and Nadja aggravate some racist local hunters, who leave vile graffiti on their car. Nadja can’t help but retaliate, so when their tent starts to be plagued by the tell-tale laser sight of a hunting rifle, she and David naturally assume that the locals are out for revenge. These early sequences are tense but, we think, predictable. David and Nadja’s dog, Boris, is beheaded and left in their tent, and they’re chased through the wilderness by the shooter. During their escape David is badly injured, and begins hallucinating, seeing visions of a little boy in a yellow jacket. This is perplexing to the audience but not, it seems, to Nadja. We’ll learn why later.

In the meantime, David and Nadja find shelter and call mountain rescue. Their supposed salvation turns out to be one of the hunters, Jarmo, so they flee and eventually shoot him with an emergency flare. Later, they stumble upon another local, and David stoves his head in with a rock. Neither of these people seemed all that much of a threat, and when David and Nadja finally happen upon their final destination, we learn why.

After asking the man in the house, Einar, to call for help, things take a swift left turn. David and Nadja barricade themselves in a room that contains various surveillance photographs of David and Nadja in their apartment, as well as a framed picture of the little boy that David has been seeing in the wilderness. It’s here we learn that Tomas, their neighbor, is the one who has been hunting them. In a flashback set immediately after the prologue in which David first proposed to Nadja, we see them get frisky in the car and accidentally knock down that little boy, Tomas’s son, who was out flying a drone with his father. Rather than turn themselves in to the police, they fled, but thanks to the drone’s camera, Tomas was able to identify them, eventually ingratiating himself into their lives by moving across the street and befriending them. This trip, we learn, was suggested to David by Tomas so he could take his revenge. 

Tomas’s original plan was to shoot them, but having been foiled by the storm, he comes up with a much more sadistic idea. He wants David and Nadja to feel the same pain that he has, and so, holding David at gunpoint, he tells him to drill through Nadja’s pregnant belly with a power tool. If he doesn’t, he says, he’ll shoot Nadja, so both mother and child will die. If David does what he’s told, at least he has a chance of saving Nadja. Of course, David isn’t able to go through with it, but just as Tomas is about to shoot them, Jarmo arrives unexpectedly. In the confusion, Tomas shoots Jarmo, Jarmo shoots Einar, and David and Nadja are able to flee.

This seems like their chance at salvation. But David, having been kneecapped by Tomas on top of all his other injuries, can’t go any further and implores Nadja to flee. She does, but stumbles on the rifle of the man David killed earlier, and returns with it to try and save David. Just as it seems she has the drop on Tomas, she’s shot dead by an unseen marksman who turns out to be Tomas’s heretofore unseen wife. With the love of his life and his child now dead, David begs Tomas to kill him, but he leaves him alive to live with the pain. The ending Red Dot  is not for the faint-hearted, and the film itself is certainly not for lovers of dogs or children. 

Article by Jonathon Wilson

Jonathon is one of the co-founders of Ready Steady Cut and has been an instrumental part of the team since its inception in 2017. Jonathon has remained involved in all aspects of the site’s operation, mainly dedicated to its content output, remaining one of its primary Entertainment writers while also functioning as our dedicated Commissioning Editor, publishing over 6,500 articles.

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When Nadja becomes pregnant, she and David make an attempt to rekindle their relationship by traveling to the north of Sweden for a hiking trip, but soon their romantic trip turns into a nig... Read all When Nadja becomes pregnant, she and David make an attempt to rekindle their relationship by traveling to the north of Sweden for a hiking trip, but soon their romantic trip turns into a nightmare. When Nadja becomes pregnant, she and David make an attempt to rekindle their relationship by traveling to the north of Sweden for a hiking trip, but soon their romantic trip turns into a nightmare.

• Alain Darborg
• Per Dickson
• Nanna Blondell
• Anastasios Soulis
• Thomas Hanzon
• 270 User reviews
• 58 Critic reviews
• 1 nomination

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• Trivia This is the first Netflix original film from Sweden.
• Goofs In the 63rd minute, when watching with English audio, the emergency operator responds with "911 what's your emergency". However, the emergency number in Sweden is 112. This was probably done on purpose. It's pretty normal to not translate local things and cultural references literally. English speaking audiences might not have understood what 112 is.
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• February 11, 2021 (United States)
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• Runtime 1 hour 26 minutes
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'Red Dot' Review: An Unnerving Thriller Which Will Make You Question Your Feelings For The Protagonists

Red Dot, directed by Alain Darborg and written by Darborg and Per Dickson, tells the story of Nadja (Nanna Blondell) and David (Anastasios Soulis) who go on a hiking trip to reignite the spark in their marriage. But they are haunted by a killer(s) that’s slowly chipping away at them for some reason. Two-thirds of the movie is a straightforward survival/slasher horror where we get to see Darborg’s technical prowess with the help of Benjam Orre’s brilliant cinematography, Magnus Hall precise editing, Christian Olander’s chilling production design, and the makeup team. It’s in the last act where you’ll begin to question everything you’ve watched due to some gut-wrenching revelations.

I don’t quite like this “move on” culture. It’s true that something like the death of an aging relative or a natural disaster is inevitable and you have to move on in order to regain a sense of normalcy. But nowadays we move on so quickly that we tend to forget pivotal moments of our lives. The Delhi Riots , where we got to see state-sponsored violence, happened around this time last year. Do you wake up with nightmares of that? Probably no. Hathras happened a few months ago. Nightmares? No. The farmers’ protest and dehumanisation of minorities are happening right now and people have seemingly moved on. And I honestly think that we need to be reminded of the consequences of insensitively moving on. Red Dot isn’t technically about that but it did make me think about all that.

Red Dot is directed by Alain Darborg. It is written by Alain Darborg and Per Dickson. The music is by Carl-Johan Sevedag, cinematography by Benjam Orre, editing by Magnus Häll, production design by Christian Olander, art direction by Sandra Aldell, costume design by Nicolas Olivier Richard, makeup by Malin Roos, Therese Sandersson, and Mikael Andersson, special makeup effects by Sara Hogg and Inga Ross, sound design/dialogue editing/re-recoding mixing by Ken Skoglund and Tobias Falk, special effects supervision by David Peter, VFX supervision by Minica Kraft, Peter Mattsson, and Anders Sundqvist, and stunt coordination by Peter Lundberg and Janne Lindqvist. It stars Nanna Blondell, Anastasios Soulis, Thomas Hanzon, Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Tomas Bergström, Kalled Mustonen, and Anna Azcárate. The story revolves around Nadja (Blondell) and David (Soulis) whose hiking trip goes south after they’re haunted by a killer.

Red Dot mostly plays out like a straightforward slasher horror and then turns everything on its head.

I think the reason why i stands out is because the writers the cliches that are associated with the genre to lull you, the viewer, into thinking that you know exactly what’s going on. You have your hashtag couple goals thing going on, you have your time jump where you see them falling apart, and then you see their last-ditch attempt to stay together also going to shit because of a killer. I don’t want to give away the spoilers because the creators and the marketing department have done a brilliant job of keeping all the cards close to their chest. But I will say this that the moment you start that it’s a typical slasher movie and go for the close button, stick around for a little while more, and I assure you that you won’t regret it.

Now, coming to the subliminal message of the movie. Don’t worry, I am not going to spoil anything. This is pure speculation though. The writers’ intention can be something else entirely. But the way I see it, the narrative is commenting on our habit of constantly moving on and how that’s not going to save us from the consequences of our actions. Life is undoubtedly lopsided in more ways than one. However, that doesn’t mean that bad things are happening to us because the system is f*cked. It’s quite possible that we are to blame for our predicament. Heck, it’s also quite possible that our inability to call out shitty stiff is the reason for our predicament. Do you ever think about that? Then please do because we’re slowly turning into a generation that is forgetting how to call a spade a spade.

Red Dot makes you cold from the outside in the first two acts and cold from the inside in the last act.

After watching the movie, I sat in silence to think whether it would’ve worked if we saw it chronologically. And I am not entirely sure. The way it deliberately leaves out so much information, and gives it to you drop by drop before bringing in a flood of emotional drama, it has a very visceral effect. So yeah, maybe this was the only way this story could’ve been told. The other great thing that Darborg, Orre, and Magnus do is that they show us what David is feeling/seeing, which is more than the cold or the fear of being hunted. This is what I always want from a survival movie because surviving isn’t just physical. One has to fight their inner demons as well because they tend to come out when their understanding of the world has been twisted.

Props to the stunt team, the production designer, set designers, the special effects artists, the VFX artist, and the makeup artists for doing such a banging job. If you ask me which scenes were shot in real snow and which were shot in fake snow, I won’t be able to tell you. I seriously won’t. All of it looks real. The sound design is fantastic. I think that Red Dot wouldn’t have worked at all if the sound design wasn’t any good. The sound of the snow crunching, the trees swaying, the gunshots, the wind howling, the clothes rustling, and the dialogue audibly hitting your ears through that is very essential. Trust me, if those aspects were bad, no matter how emotional the last act would’ve been, the movie would’ve flopped so hard. So, please tip your proverbial hats to all the heroes who don’t show up on-screen.

Nanna Blondell and Anastasios Soulis carry Red Dot on their shoulders until [spoiler] comes to deliver the emotional gut punch.

Talking about the heroes on-screen, Blondell and Soulis, these two have knocked it out of the park. I think that there’s nothing wrong with admitting that I have never seen their work prior to this movie. It will be wrong though if you don’t check out their work after watching this movie because Soulis has around 45 acting credits and Blondell has around 28 acting credits. And you can see that in every frame of Red Dot , they’ve used all that experience. Soulis’s portrayal of David is painful to look at. He is so committed to his performance that he isn’t afraid to faceplant hundreds of times (I am exaggerating, of course) and when he gets up, he shows how he’s hurting from the inside. That said, the funny thing is that he does it all so unironically that you’ll feel icky for empathising with him.

Nanna’s portrayal of Nadja is also a great balance of external and internal. She has to do a lot of the heavy lifting, quite literally, because David is incapacitated for major chunks of the movie. And her screams of anguish, fear, and anxiety seem like they are emanating from her gut. I seriously want to know how these two and the rest of the team pulled off all those physically taxing scenes and whether they’re left with any interest in hiking ever again. I don’t. Nanna shows Nadja’s internal conflict in a very smart way. She lets the editing do the heavy lifting there while keeping an impressionable expression on her face, thereby allowing you to project your thoughts onto her which are then amplified by the glimpses of Nadja’s past. As for the rest of the cast, I can’t say much without giving away spoilers. All I can say is that they’ve performed excellently.

Final verdict.

Red Dot is amazing! Two parts of the movie are slasher horror in nature and one part is an emotional drama that will make one cry. And the great thing is that that one part will make you rethink everything that you felt for those other two parts. Isn’t that some kickass storytelling?! If you’re wondering why I have cut off 0.5, it’s because the red dot wasn’t used as much as I wanted it to and because there were moments where the plot armour became too thick in order to save the couple from hypothermia and bleeding. That’s it. Apart from those two issues, the movie is pitch f*cking perfect. If you’re looking for a taut thriller which’ll make you clench your teeth, fists, and arse, this is it.

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Directed by Alain Darborg

On a hiking trip to rekindle their marriage, a couple find themselves fleeing for their lives in the unforgiving wilderness from an unknown shooter.

Johannes Bah Kuhnke Nanna Blondell Anastasios Soulis Kalled Mustonen Thomas Hanzon Anna Azcárate Melvin Solin Johan Hedman Peter Borossy Veronica Mukka Per Mårthans

Director Director

Alain Darborg

Producers Producers

Niklas Larsson Anna Odenhall

Writers Writers

Alain Darborg Per Dickson

Casting Casting

Tor Nyman Johannes Persson

Editor Editor

Magnus Häll

Cinematography Cinematography

Benjam Orre

Production Design Production Design

Christian Olander

Art Direction Art Direction

Sandra Aldell

Stunts Stunts

Johan Lindqvist

Composer Composer

Carl-Johan Sevedag

Sound Sound

Andreas Franck Oscar Lovnér Anders Niva Jesper Miller Lars Wignell Kenneth Skoglund

Film i Dalarna SF Studios

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Swedish

Releases by Date

11 feb 2021, releases by country.

• Digital 15 Netflix
• Digital Netflix
• Digital 16 Netflix
• Digital M18 Netflix

South Korea

• Digital 18 Netflix
• Digital NR Netflix

86 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Todd Gaines ★★★★ 16

Red Dot is on target. 

The international movies released by Netflix lately have been more hit than miss, and Red Dot might be the best one so far.

Red Dot on paper appears like the standard chase in the woods flick. A married couple try to survive the night from an unknown killer. However, it is the insane final act that  distinguishes  Red Dot from a lot of other films in the same genre. 

I like the movie. I love the ending. Put Red Dot  on your radar when Netflix releases it globally on February 11th. 

FULL REVIEW ON BULLETPROOF ACTION

Review by chanels0ul ★★½ 1

every year a film comes out that does sweden absolutely no favours

Review by Austin Burke ★★½ 6

⚠️54% YouTube review - Click  HERE 2021 list - Click  HERE

When Nadja becomes pregnant, they make an attempt to rekindle their relationship by traveling to the north of Sweden for a hiking trip but soon thier romantic trip turns into a nightmare.

Red Dot is a familiar yet slightly inventive Thriller that starts off extremely strong. The introduction is interesting, but the beginning of the second act sets us off on a wild adventure from that point on. The second the red dot itself shows up is when everything gets amplified to an 11/10. This couple is going through a bit of a rough patch, but what we discover as we progress is that there is much more to it than…

Review by Savannah! ★★ 6

They deserve it.

Review by Chris Heck

Boris was the only likable character.

Review by Fabian ★½ 3

Red Dot masquerades as 85 minutes of tight Swedish noir, but turns out to be badly written, clichéd and manipulative with little to no emotional or suspenseful value attached.

Basically, the plot of Red Dot boils down to a couple trying to rekindle their relationship by going on a camping trip in Northern Sweden, where they soon turn into your typical kind of helpless tourists that are often at the center of nature-related horror films. While they are camping in the middle of the snow-filled forests, a red dot on their bodies quickly alerts them to someone apparently trying to claim their lives, which plunges them deep into a nightmarish scenario. The premise already hints towards an uninspired survival thriller,…

Review by Jake Alda Coffey ★½

I can’t explain it but the minute the lead character proposed to his girlfriend over the phone in a bathroom stall, I knew this movie was going to be crappy.

Review by brono ★★

why do they have to kill the dog? what a disgusting and unnecessary scene.

Review by Lebowskidoo 🇨🇦 🎬 🍿 ★★★★ 1

A young couple goes camping (in the winter!) in northern Sweden. Along the way, they antagonize some other motorists who seem to be out for revenge.

Red Dot is the latest Swede-noir thriller Netflix offering. It has a streamlined story that never stops moving forward, and some twists to keep you on edge. It's not going to revolutionize movie making or anything, it's just a basic thriller that actually thrills. Lots of gasps while watching. Trust me, you won't see the twists until they come. Left me with a lot to think about. It's getting a lot of negativity, but I enjoyed the ride.

Beautiful scenery, especially the Northern Lights!

Review by tobias (: ★★ 1

what kind of name for a dog is Boris? like the only people it could be after are Boris Yeltsin, Boris Johnson, or Boris the animal from MiB3. And I wouldn’t want my dog to be like any of those

Review by clementine ★★★½ 3

love love love this concept so i was bound to at least somewhat enjoy it - even if it logistically made as much sense as the way this film ended up going. more snow horror movies pls

Review by EudoraFletcher ½ 1

Why does someboy scratches a strangers car, just because one is angry with this person but not even sure if it´s the right car? Why is a dog running to a stranger in the night, just because the stranger whistles? I wondered if Swedish people can really be so stupid to camp out at night in some remote place with -30°C or so without knowing what they are doing and then fleeing blindly, getting lost and breaking into a frozen lake? In short, I couldn´t follow the actions of the main characters and to me the plot is mostly senseless. Halfway nice was the snow scenery, but I have seen much better snow movies (https://letterboxd.com/eudorafletcher/list/snow-and-ice/). The atmosphere didn´t reach me…

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Release date

12 th February 2021

The latest Netflix original release – and the first Swedish language feature launched by the streaming giant – Red Dot transports viewers to Stockholm for a romantic drama turned electrifying horror that thrusts one into the heart of a manhunt among the freezing desolate wastelands. Much like other wilderness thrillers of its kind, this chilly number takes a while to get going. But as the ice and snow begin to thicken, so does the plot, creating an 85-minute avalanche of a film that is certainly not for the faint of heart.

David (Anastasios Soulis) and Nadja (Nanna Blondell) are a recently engaged young couple trying to make it work in the capital. In a bid to provide some much-needed respite, the former surprises his partner with a romantic trip to see the Northern Lights. What begins as an exciting and beautiful adventure slowly turns sour and dangerous after they encounter less-than-welcoming locals. Before long, demons of the past and present appear to haunt the visitors as they must flee for their lives.

Spectators will be unable to take their eyes off this unravelling drama on screen. One’s fingers and toes begin to feel the frostbite creeping in with every snow-laden scene. The sense of peril increases as David and Nadja face racial prejudice, unexpected violence and ultimately fall into an even larger trap manifested by those they least anticipated. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Alain Darborg, the movie is less about the presence of a “red dot” from a rifle as the title suggests. Instead, it is a study into the actions of humanity, investigating how we deal with loss, guilt and victimisation. At first, the viewer is led to believe that the protagonists are pure and innocent: just two lovers who have fallen into the clasp of someone else’s sick intentions. But as Darborg peels back the layers, it is revealed that they too are hiding something. 

This disclosure comes a little late in the narrative. However, with excellent performances and chemistry from Soulis and Blondell, the preceding script and sequences are exceptionally easy to process. Despite the sprinkling of a little clichéd dialogue, the film works as a whole – arguably presenting more questions than answers as it reaches its conclusion – but nonetheless providing enough excitement throughout. Prepare to be shocked at the direction the flick takes in the third act as the darkness of despair shrouds over the protagonists, proving no one is safe from the cold hand of revenge should the seeker be determined enough to serve it.

Guy Lambert

Red Dot is released on Netflix on 12 th February 2021.

Watch the trailer for Red Dot here:

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Featured stories, ‘red dot’: review.

In director Alain Darborg’s latest cinematic concoction, “Red Dot,” married couple and soon-to-be parents David, played by Anastasios Soulis, and Nadja, played by Nanna Blondell, attempt to patch their marriage via a trip to a nearby ski resort. Unfortunately, an unidentified sniper with a grudge has other ideas. The couple’s getaway, which started with aspirations to take in the Northern Lights, quickly turns into a hellish nightmare as the two are forced not only to evade their trigger-happy pursuer, but battle the harsh mountain conditions as well.

A Swedish film to begin with, the Netflix version replaces the lines of Soulis and Blondell with those of American voice actors. And while it’s not a complete game changer, this leads to some lines sounding artificial and not packing the punch you would expect. It also means that, at least for Soulis and Blondell, their quality performances will at times come across as less impressive.

While the dialogue may be the film’s biggest letdown, Darborg provides the viewer with some truly stunning cinematography. A close-up of Blondell’s soaked, horror-struck face as she desperately searches for a submerged Soulis makes you feel as if you’re the one that is slowly sinking away from her. An extreme wide shot, on the other hand, depicts the icy terrain that Soulis and Blondell are now being forced to traverse in order to escape.

As for the film’s soundtrack, courtesy of Carl-Johan Sevedag, according to the Internet Movie Database , it adds to the movie’s on edge atmosphere. However, sometimes no sound at all proved to make the biggest difference. With no background noise whatsoever, Blondell lies in the snow as she watches Soulis inspect their rediscovered tent, the same tent they were forced to flee the night before. The only sound is that of Blondell’s choppy breathing, and that is the only sound the viewer needs. “Red Dot” may not consistently hit the mark for the entire one hour and 27 minutes, but it still provides a plethora of twists and scares. And I should not forget that the film’s finale, stuffed with a mix of gore and gut-wrenching moments, should chill even the hard-to-please horror fans.

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REVIEW: ‘Red Dot’ – A Mediocre Thriller with a Twist

Red Dot is a suspense thriller from Netflix . Nadja and David are struggling in their relationship. David works all the time and Nadja is finding it difficult to balance her studies to become a doctor and having to maintain their home. As their difficulties seem to be coming to a head David suggests the couple go on a three-day hiking trip in the woods. Just them and their dog, hiking among the trees and taking in the beauty of the northern lights. What could go wrong?

There is perhaps no more fickle a storytelling device than the plot twist. When executed properly it can bring a whole new dimension to a movie. It turns everything the viewer believed into a falsehood. It can surprise, or delight. But what makes the twist such a tricky tool to work with is even if the twist is kept secret till the moment it’s revealed, even if the twist changes and expands upon the narrative in an unforeseen and interesting way, there is every possibility the viewer simply won’t like the change. At which point, the big reveal moment of the story falls flat. And generally, the bulk of the narrative is quick to follow. This is a struggle I think many will have when checking out Red Dot.

Our story opens at David’s college graduation. Nadja is there with him, and the two are all smiles. The joy of the moment expands further as David attempts a sweet, but clumsy marriage proposal. It the kind of fail that isn’t embarrassing or cringe, just cute. A great story Nadja will never tire of embarrassing him with.

Flash forward an undisclosed amount of time and the “honeymoon” period of the relationship is no longer present. David is swamped with work, and Nadja is struggling to manage their home and her studies to become a doctor. The couple is clearly in a rough place. And to make the situation tenser for Nadja, she has found out she is pregnant. Though David is still not in the know. Before she can tell him, David springs a surprise trip on her. Three days of hiking in the wilderness. Crisp snow, lush forests, and sleeping beneath the northern lights. A lovely trip for the two to reconnect.

The trip begins to go wrong before the couple even reaches their hotel. While stopping for gas the two have an uncomfortable run-in with a pair of men who give off all kinds of creepy vibes. As David and Nadja leave the station, David accidentally dings the pair’s pick up truck. Rather than inform the uncomfortable individuals as Nadja suggests, David chooses to simply drive off. David’s lack of intestinal fortitude is his most prominent characteristic.

After spending the night at their hotel the couple head out for their weekend of hiking, only to discover their car has been keyed, and a nasty statement left on one of their bumper stickers. The couple is not happy but continue along with their plans.

En route to the launch point for their hike, they come across the pickup truck from the day before. Convinced that these are the folks that vandalized their car in the night, Nadja decides to return the favor. Nearly being caught in the act, the couple must make a quick escape but can head out and enjoy their weekend.

Red Dot ’s narrative begins to pick up as the couple bed down after their first day in the woods. As the night outside grows dark the duo notices a red dot on their tent. Initially confused, they quickly go out to see who is outside. As the dot starts bouncing between heads and chests, the implicated threat is soon understood and the couple rushes back inside their shelter. Though tents don’t hold up well to bullets.

From here, David and Nadja enter a game of cat and mouse as they are pursued through the woods. With little effective experience at survival and no familiarity with the terrain, the couple is in hot water. As wounds begin to build up, the effort of going on becomes ever more difficult.

The various suspenseful moments that Red Dot  delivers through the bulk of its run-time are executed well, if not fantastically. With many of the scenarios playing out as one might expect, the punch of any real surprises is largely absent, till the big twist at the end.

The bulk of whether or not this movie can be put above the simple mediocre level the bulk of the production feels like comes down completely with how this moment hits for you. I can see some finding it skillful and surprising. While others will undoubtedly dislike how it fundamentally changes the outlook on some of the characters and their interaction. For me, I find myself appreciating what the director went for here, while not fully loving the outcome. It does hurt how I view some of the characters within the story, but I can’t honestly think of a story with a twist quite like this. Given it’s a short hour and a half to watch, folks who enjoy suspense, and unforeseen surprises in their movies may want to give it a watch just for that.

The cinematography in Red Dot  delivers most of the sequences with a component degree of skill. There are only a couple of moments where I felt camera choices were truly bad, and there is a stand out sequence involving a frozen lake that I feel the camera work truly nails.

The acting work also falls solidly on the level of decent. No character ever pulled me out of the movie with their performance, while none grabbed me either. Though it is important to note that the version of the movie i watched was dubbed from Swedish. So some of the struggles could be the English lines not lining up right with the original dialogue and character expressions.

When all is said and done Red Dot brings an interesting and solidly executed suspense movie. If you are looking for something in the genre that you can kill an hour and a half with, this could prove a good means of doing so.

Red Dot is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

• 6/10 Rating - 6/10

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Lifelong geek who enjoys comics, video games, movies, reading and board games . Over the past year I’ve taken a more active interest in artistic pursuits including digital painting, and now writing. I look forward to growing as a writer and bettering my craft in my time here!

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Red Dot Parent Guide

Gratuitously violent and gory, this story provides a deeply unpleasant viewing experience..

Netflix: Determined to revitalize their marriage, Nadja and David head off for a hiking and skiing vacation in Northern Sweden. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when they become prey for some hunters...

Release date February 11, 2021

Run Time: 85 minutes

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

After a good start to their relationship, Nadja (Nanna Blondell) and David (Anastasios Soulis) have hit a rough patch. David’s job is stressful and demands long hours, while Nadja feels unfairly stuck with the housework on top of her studies. Things are so bad that Nadja hasn’t even told her husband that she’s pregnant.

Realizing the marriage needs a boost, David plans a romantic retreat with a weekend of skiing and hiking in remote northern Sweden, camping out under the Northern Lights. A chance encounter with some dangerous hunters out on the road seems to add a new level of risk to a cold weather trip – but more dangerous is a dark secret from the couple’s past which has finally caught up to them.

Not that the troubling issues stop with the premise. Red Dot features a whole bunch of profanity and some remarkably upsetting violence. Anything that involves torturing and decapitating a dog, even if most of that happens off-screen, is a bridge too far for most audiences. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a stomach-churning scene where a man is encouraged to perform an abortion with a hand drill which, mercifully, he doesn’t. On top of that, the movie features the usual horror/thriller classics - shootings, bear traps, kids getting hit by cars… that kind of thing. This isn’t exactly what I’d describe as a pleasant viewing experience. Now, that might be the point for a horror flick, but it doesn’t make it any more endearing.

I always hate these roadside maniac/torture-porn movies. They’re stressful and deeply unpleasant. There are so many less gruesome avenues which are just as scary and involve a lot less mess. Frozen and remote hellscapes are the setting for some of my favorite horror movies – flicks like The Lodge or The Shining . Your mileage may vary, but I think I’d rather do go camping in February than watch this again.

About author

Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for red dot.

Red Dot Rating & Content Info

Why is Red Dot rated Not Rated? Red Dot is rated Not Rated by the MPAA

Violence: People are threatened. Characters are shown covered in blood with a variety of injuries. A dog is tortured and killed offscreen, and its severed head is later shown. A person’s arm is caught in an animal trap which was deliberately set. A character is shot with a flare gun and (nonfatally) set alight. A man is struck in the head with a rock and presumably killed. A child is struck and killed by a car. Individuals are clubbed with the butt of a rifle and knocked out. A man threatens to use a hand drill to perform an involuntary abortion. Several people are shot, most of whom are killed. Sexual Content: A woman is seen in her underwear briefly in a picture. A couple are shown fooling around in a moving car. Profanity: There are 27 extreme profanities and 5 scatological profanities, along with occasional mild profanities and terms of deity. This count is based on the Swedish language film with English subtitles, results may vary in the English dubbed version. Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters are briefly seen drinking with meals. A man is shown drinking heavily to cope with stress.

Page last updated October 2, 2021

Related home video titles:

Other wintery horror flicks include The Lodge , The Shining , and Misery – none of which are half as gruesome as this one. If you’re looking for more Sweden in your life, and don’t mind some gore, Midsommar also takes place in remote northern Sweden, but in the middle of summer. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is another well-known Swedish export, although this version is directed by David Fincher.

Related news about Red Dot

Coming to Netflix: February 2021

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